Ladakh's Increasing Vulnerability to Flash Floods and Debris Flows
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES Hydrol. Process. 30, 4214–4223 (2016) Published online 21 June 2016 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/hyp.10919 A clear and present danger: Ladakh’s increasing vulnerability to flash floods and debris flows Alan D. Ziegler,1* Abstract 2 Sebastian I. Cantarero, This preliminary investigation of the recent spate of deadly flash floods and debris Robert J. Wasson,3 flows in Ladakh (India) over the last decade identifies uncontrolled development in Pradeep Srivastava,4 hazardous locations as an important factor contributing to loss of life and property 5 damage in this high mountain desert. The sediments exposed in the channel banks Sonam Spalzin, and on the alluvial fans of several mountain streams in the area indicate a long Winston T. L. Chow1,3 and history of flash floods and debris flows resulting from intense storms, which appear Jamie Gillen1 to have increased in frequency within the last decade. The signposts of these recurrent hazards are being ignored as a growing economy, which is boosted by a 1 Geography Department, National well-established tourism industry, is now driving development onto lands that are University of Singapore, Singapore, susceptible to floods and debris flow hazards. In this science briefing we argue that 117568 the increasing vulnerability in Ladakh should be addressed with sound disaster 2 Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, governance strategies that are proactive, rather than reactionary. Copyright © Singapore 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 3 Institute of Water Policy, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National Key Words floods; vulnerability; debris flows; tourism; climate change University of Singapore, Singapore 4 Wadia Institute for Himalayan Geology, Dehra Dun, India Introduction 5 Archeological Survey of India, The nature of a flood disaster is shaped primarily by a combination of the Srinagar, India increasing exposure and impacts arising from the geophysical hazard itself (i.e.
[Show full text]